Fluid transfer device



Oct. 27, 1964 P. N. BLAND 3,154,098

FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE Filed March 19, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N It") In[J lnln IDN'O m (1) ID l0 uvvenfroR PERCY. N- BLAND 5,, 5 6

P. N. BLAND FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1962United States Patent 3,154,098 FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE Percy N. Bland,Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, assignor, by mesne assignments, toThe Black Clawson Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio FiledMar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 180,710 4 Claims. ((11. 13758il) This inventionrelates to a device which is particularly adapted for use intransferring a gas or a liquid between the relatively moving parts of amachine such as a log barker or the like.

The objects of the invention are to provide means whereby fluid, forexample, may be effectively transferred with little or no loss ofpressure, to provide positive control of the fluid as it moves from thestationary to the moving part so that the fluid utilizing elements ofthe machine may be precisely controlled from a remote .point and so thatthe transfer takes place without undue noise or excessive area contactswhich are extremely difficult and costly to maintain.

Referring to the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a section taken on line 22 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an elevation of the pick-up ring.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken on line 44 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an elevation of the inner faces of the shoes.

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view showing the device in use on a logbarker.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in each figure.

The numeral 10 indicates a portion of the annular rotor of a mechanicallog barker and 11 identifies part of the stator in which the rotor isjournalled. A barker of the type strips bark from a log being conveyedend wise through the rotor and for this purpose the rotor is fittedaround its inner periphery with a number of suitably spaced barkengaging tools 12, see FIGURE 7 only.

The tools 12 are moved towards and away from the surface of the log bymeans of pneumatic cylinders 15 and preferably said cylinders areprovided with circuits which include a pressure tank 16, a distributingvalve 17 and a pilot valve 18. These elements, together with thecylinders 15, are mounted on the rotor 10 and are rotated therewithabout the surface of the log in the direction of the arrow 19 ofFIGURE 1. Air is supplied to the several pneumatics from a pressuresource 20 and air flow is controlled by a remotely situated valve 21which is actuated by the barker operator. The transfer of air from thestationary to the rotating parts of the barker both for power andcontrol, are effected by means which form the basis of the presentinvention.

Secured to a face of the rotor 10 by bolts 24, is a vertically disposedconcentric pick-up ring 25 having an inner face 26 and parallel bearingfaces 27 and 28. The ring is drilled from the face 26 and the face 27 toprovide a plurality of ports 30 which are equidistantly spaced about thering circumference and are located on a line 31, see FIGURE 3. Each port30 is fitted with a suitable check valve 32 enclosed within a housing 33which projects radially from the inner face 26. Extending parallel tothe face 26 is a conduit 35 which connects each check valve housing 33to the air tank 16. Air from the tank 16 is admitted to the severalcylinders 15 by the distributing valve 17.

The face 28 of the pick-up ring has a number of spaced ports 37 locatedon a line 38 and said face also has similarly arranged ports 39 on line40. As shown in FIGURE 3, the lines 38 and 40 are disposed on eitherside of the line 31 of ports 30 so as to extend parallel thereo. Theports 37 and 39 each have a right angle bend as shown in FIGURE 5 andextend through to the inner face 26 of the pick-up ring. A fitting 41 isentered into each port 37 from the face 26 and secured to said fittingis a check valve 42. The valves 42 are connected by conduits 43 .to thevalves 17 and 18 on the barker rotor. The ports 33 are similarlyprovided with fittings 45, check valves 46 and conduits 47 whereby toconnect said ports to the valve 18 only.

The stator 11 is fitted with an outwardly projecting bracket 50 in whicha pair of vertically disposed pivot pins 51 are supported. Mounted onthe pins 51 for limited swinging movement in a horizontal plane, arearms 52 which are provided at their free ends with vertical hinge pins53. The arms 52 serve to support arcuate shoes 55 and 56 in slidingengagement with the pick-up ring bearing faces 27 and 28 respectively.

The hinge pins 53 extend through vertically spaced lugs 53 on the outerfaces of the shoes, thus the shoes are rockingly mounted to compensatefor any slight irregularity or Wobble in the ring 25. Adjacent the pins53 the arms 52 are adjustably connected by a clamping bolt 59.

As best shown in FIGURE 6 the inner face 61 of the shoe 55 has acentrally disposed arcuate groove 62. The corresponding face 63 of theshoe 56 has parallel grooves 64 and both shoes have, at their lowerends, recesses 66 in which vent openings 67 are provided. Bonded to thefaces 61 and 63 of the shoes are wear plates 69 of nylon plastic orother suitable material which plates obviously have openingscorresponding to the various grooves and recesses.

Secured to the shoe 55 is a fitting 70 which connects a flexible hose 71to the groove 62. The hose 71 extends to the source 20 of air pressure.Similar fittings 74 carried by the shoe 56 connect flexible hoses 75 tothe grooves 64. The hoses 75 extend to the valve 21 and preferably thefittings 74 are spaced apart vertically on the shoe as shown in FIGURE1.

During the log debarking operation the rotor 10 is driven at a constantspeed and the ring 25 slides between the shoes 55 and 56 which areclamped thereto with sufficient force to form a substantially airtightseal between the engaging faces. The ports 30 progressively move intoand out of register with the groove 62 and the ad joining recess 66 asthe pick-up ring is rotated. Similarly the ports 37 and 39 sweep pastthe grooves 64 and the recess in the shoe 56.

When the ports 30 are in registration with the groove 62, their checkvalves 32 are forced open to admit air under pressure to the conduit 35for delivery to the tank 16. This air pressure serves to actuallyoperate the air cylinders 15 of the bark removing tools 12.

The normal position of the control valve 21 is such as to deliver air tothe inner groove 64 and this air is picked up by the ports 37 and isapplied to one side of the pilot valve 18 to normally hold said valveclosed. By manipulation of the valve 21 the barker operator feeds airunder pressure to the outer groove 64 and as the ports 39 traverse thecharged groove their check valves are forced open to admit air to theconduits leading to the other side of the pilot valve 18. Through thevalve 18, the valve 17 is actuated to deliver operating air from thetank 16 to the appropriate end of the cylinders 15 thus controlling theoperation of the tools 12.

When the ports pass beyond the ends of the grooves, the check valvesautomatically close to prevent escape of air from the conduits. At thistime a small amount of air is trapped in the ports between the closedcheck valves and the bearing faces and this air is discharged into therecesses 66 and reaches the atmosphere through the vent openings 67. Ithas been found that by releasing the trapped air in this mannerdisengagement between the shoes and the ports will take place without aseries of explosive sounds or the setting up of vibrations in the fluidtransfer device or the log barker.

What I claim is:

1. A fluid transfer device comprising a rotating ring having bearingfaces, said ring having a plurality of circumferentially spaced portsextending therethrough, a pair of stationary shoes having opposing innerfaces, means positively clamping said shoes to the ring with their innerfaces in sliding and fluid-sealing engagement with the bearing faces ofthe ring, said inner faces of the pair of shoes having arcuate groovesadapted to be swept by the ring ports, some of said ports and thearcuate groove of one of said pair of shoes forming part of a firstfluid circuit and the other of said ports and the arcuate 20 2,918,938

i groove of the other of said pair of shoes being included in a secondfluid circuit.

2. A fluid transfer device as claimed in claim 1, Wherein the inner faceof each of said pair of shoes has an enlarged recess disposed in thepath of the ring ports and being in register therewith as said portssweep out of register with the arcuate groove, said shoe having a ventcommunicating with the recess.

3. A fluid transfer device as claimed in claim 1, and means forpreventing fluid flow in one direction through each of the ring ports.

4. A fluid transfer device as claimed in claim 1, and a wear membersecured to the inner face of each of said pair of shoes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,294,214 Seinfeld Aug. 25, 1942 Kimball Dec. 29, 1959

1. A FLUID TRANSFER DEVICE COMPRISING A ROTATING RING HAVING BEARINGFACES, SAID RING HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED PORTSEXTENDING THERETHROUGH, A PAIR OF STATIONARY SHOES HAVING OPPOSING INNERFACES, MEANS POSITIVELY CLAMPING SAID SHOES TO THE RING WITH THEIR INNERFACES IN SLIDING AND FLUID-SEALING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BEARING FACES OFTHE RING, SAID INNER FACES OF THE PAIR OF SHOES HAVING ARCUATE GROOVESADAPTED TO BE SWEPT BY THE RING PORTS, SOME OF SAID PORTS AND THEARCUATE GROOVE OF ONE OF SAID PAIR OF SHOES FORMING PART OF A FIRSTFLUID CIRCUIT AND THE OTHER OF SAID PORTS AND THE ARCUATE GROOVE OF THEOTHER OF SAID PAIR OF SHOES BEING INCLUDED IN A SECOND FLUID CIRCUIT.